In a surprise speech Monday at the Solar Power International Conference, California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger said that a sustained commitment to clean technologies can propel an economic recovery, CNET News reports. The conference was expected to have almost 20,000 attendees, a sharp increase from years past.

The report said that the governor focused his speech on his state’s environmental policies, which have become models for other states and even for national policy, including a low-carbon fuel standard and greenhouse gas emission caps. He warned that the contracting economy could cause some politicians to scale back their green efforts.

“We must not give in to those that say that environmental goals should take a back seat until our economy comes back,” Schwarzenegger said in the report. “It’s backwards thinking and just plain wrong.”